Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the forfeiture of five additional properties linked to convicted former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission intensifies efforts to recover assets acquired through the N33.8 billion fraud that sent the former minister to prison for 75 years.
Justice James Omotosho gave the ruling on Thursday, July 2, 2026, while delivering judgment on an application filed by the EFCC seeking the final forfeiture of the properties. The court ordered the permanent forfeiture of Walijam Apartments at No. 43 Plot 435, Lobito Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, after the EFCC established during the criminal trial that Mamman acquired the property with unlawfully obtained funds.
The judge also ordered the interim forfeiture of four other properties: Bloom Luxury Suites Nigeria Limited in Kaduna, two mansions on Misratah Street in Wuse 2, Abuja, and A.U.A Plaza on Kade Street, Wuse 2, Abuja. Justice Omotosho directed the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper within seven days, allowing interested parties to appear before the court and show cause why the properties should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.
In his ruling, the judge rejected the argument of Mamman's lawyer, Femi Atteh, SAN, that the court no longer had jurisdiction after sentencing the former minister. Justice Omotosho held that Section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act empowers the court to issue restitution orders after conviction. EFCC counsel, Abba Mohammed, told the court that the anti-graft agency had found that Mamman diverted N22 billion, while the commission had recovered less than N2 billion so far.
Mamman was convicted on May 13, 2026, on all 12 counts of fraud and money laundering charges, amounting to over N33.8 billion. He was sentenced to 75 years imprisonment for his role in the diversion of public funds linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects. The former minister, who served under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, had been on the run since his conviction but was later tracked down by EFCC operatives in Kaduna State and transferred to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The forfeiture of the five additional properties brings the total number of assets seized from the former minister to at least nine properties. Following his conviction, the court had earlier ordered the forfeiture of various foreign currencies and four choice properties in Abuja traced to him. The EFCC has described the recovery of assets as a critical component of its mandate to deny criminals the proceeds of their crimes and deter others from engaging in similar fraudulent activities. The case represents one of the most significant corruption prosecutions under the current administration, given the scale of the fraud and the seniority of the convicted official.
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